Abstract

It is possible, in the context of contemplating relation of philosophy and sport, to think on the phenomenon of hunting. Hunting is one of the most important formative forces in human development. Although hunting is not the most important food collectable tool any more, it is still present in human life in the form of leisure. In this paper we are trying to follow thoughts of Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset on the subject of hunting. In his Meditations on Hunting Gasset tries to show an inseparable connection of man and nature, especially through the hunting. For the contemporary human it is important to preserve hunting, even as a sport, although according to Ortega hunting is much more than sport, because without the hunting, human life is not complete. In this context we can ask if the hunting is a way of remaining near the nature, or just one in many other modes of destruction of nature. Although this paper is not trying to analyze the social or moral acceptability of hunting in contemporary society, it focuses on the critique of Ortega’s positions.